The present invention relates generally to gas turbine engines, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for channeling airflow through a gas turbine engine.
At least some components of known gas turbines may be subjected to high temperature environments, and cooling of such components may extend their useful life. At least one known cooling method includes channeling at least a portion of air from a compressor to components desired to be cooled. Generally, the methods and apparatus for channeling such air is referred to as compressor bleed. Some known compressor bleeds also facilitate reducing compressor stalling and/or compressor surges during compressor operation.
Known compressor bleeds channel a pre-determined percentage of the compressor's rated air flow from pre-determined locations defined within the compressor casing. However, some known compressor bleeds are defined in areas that may distort and/or weaken the compressor casing. Furthermore, the existing configuration of many known compressor bleeds are not easily modifiable to accommodate changes to the configuration and/or operation of the gas turbine.